ldawntaylor - bits and pieces

In my "garden" my tomato plants are alive and growing. But, they are so small. I would be really surprised if they produce any tomatoes at all. Mom didn't ask me to start them until March - and I didn't think of it myself. They should have been started in January I guess.

That situation is making the gift of tomatoes from a neighbor all the more enjoyable. Just about the only tomatoes I like are homegrown. The greenhouse ones just don't taste right to me. This time the neighbor brought some zucchini bread as well. Sometimes she brings squash or cucumbers. It's all so good.

Maybe next year I will get my starts going early enough and get the plants in early enough so that the weeds won't overwhelm them as badly. For now I am going to try a couple of tomato plants in my window box. I let my home reach about 85 degrees during the day so it should be warm enough for them.

I do wish my weed eater was more useful around here. It is designed for a "postage stamp" yard. While mine really isn't bigger the grass in it is mostly found in hay rather than yards so it is rather tough compared to the lawn grasses. I've been working for nearly an hour in the yard and yet when I look out of the window I can't even see where I've been working. Another downside is that I can only work for about 20 minutes and then the battery has to be recharged.

IF I can just maintain what I have already done then maybe I can add a bit more each week until I finally can trim the whole yard that way. My mower isn't working so my options (thanks to my budget situation) is let the yard go or cut with the weed eater. I have to at least maintain by the fence otherwise the electric fencing won't work since the grass gets too tall and thick. No, I can't let any of the goats or chickens into the yard. With my dog's play drive they wouldn't last very long. And she doesn't tolerate being with other dogs so moving her for a day isn't an option either.

Oh well, make it through this summer and then when the yard work supplies go on sale maybe I can upgrade.

For now I need to get back to yard work and such.

So, until next time....

It has been nearly two and a half weeks. The yard work situation is no better, work has been more stressful than usual, loss of neighbors and familiar faces, a goat died... I know better than to ask what else can go wrong. But, right now I am in a difficult season of life.

There are some positive things. My cat has started putting in a regular appearance in spite of my mom's cat. I've actually found someone who may be interested in buying my excess roosters - for their freezer. But, that is better than a lot of the alternatives. Simple things but they make a difference.

Right now it is daylight and I am wide awake - so I guess I need to get started on what I planned to do today.

So, until next time....

Well, my planned activities did not happen. For some reason I was so exhausted I could not function. I don't even have my laundry finished and that is unusual for my first day off. We did have a rain storm come through so maybe I can blame my lethargy on that.... Anyway, I did get a little bit of cross-stitch done. But, even working on that I found myself nodding off. At least I didn't prick my finger and bleed on the fabric which does happen on occasion. Dosing off while in the middle of a project like that can prove painful at times.


For the moment though I am going to take some sprouted seeds to the chickens.

So, until next time....

I did want to share one thing now that I have the pictures loaded. When the last bad storm came through a tree was knocked down and landed on my pasture fence and yard fence. I was blessed in that I had left the power to the fence off that morning. Also that the tree landed on a fence post rather than on the wire.

The tree is removed now. But, I got pictures first. Here is one of them.

Well, my lawn got mowed. Not the way I thought but I'm certainly not complaining. My dad made some changes to the electric fence for my yard. There is now a drive through gate. He drove his riding mower into the yard and mowed it that way. It looks so much better.

Now to just catch up on some other stuff around here. Oh, I know, it is a never ending process. But with that one change the rest seems more like it can be accomplished too.

As far as the construction goes - after having to redo some of their work - they should be finished in a few days. They were repainting the lines on the road yesterday...just a couple of miles left.

For now, I need to get back to trimming under the electric fence.

So, until next time....

There have been so many changes I don't even know where to begin.

Perhaps the most significant is that I lost my buck. I had dewormed him and he had been down for a while from that (around Thanksgiving). He got well enough to go browse with the others and seemed to be better every day. A little over a week later he was down again. He was having a lot of trouble breathing the last day or two. From that and the weather I suspect pneumonia.

Anyway, I can't replace him and had been contemplating some changes anyway. Unless one of the kids to be born in a few weeks proves exceptional it looks like I will be keeping only my adult wether and one doe.

I do want to keep at least one that is able to be milked I just doubt I will be maintaining a herd anymore. It is hard to let go of a dream but I think it is best. Those goats are proving to be a very expensive hobby. Perhaps with just a couple of goats I can get back to caring for them properly in spite of crazy work schedules and such.

With just one doe I will be looking into artificial insemination and possibilities like that. I would like to keep having goats milk I'm just not sure of the logistics right now.

I have stuff to do and so I will come back to the update after a while (later tonight I hope). So, until next time....

Sorry for your loss

Sometimes it is good to wait for another season to get back to what you love. I'm sure it will be difficult for you

Sorry about your buck.

Thank-you.

It is never easy to let go of a dream. But putting that dream of a goat herd on hold is easier than loosing one or two at a time and knowing it was probably preventable. If I had just been paying proper attention.

In other areas, my chickens are doing well. With choosing the Welsummer breed I am getting eggs in spite of the cooler weather. In fact, I've been managing to sell a dozen eggs a week plus have plenty for my own use. In my flock of eleven birds I only have eight that might lay eggs, of those only 5 are laying right now. I have a picture of the eggs I'm getting and for color the picture doesn't even do them justice.

I find myself wondering if adding a few turkeys is an option. It is interesting to me that I don't seem to get as attached to the birds as I do to the goats. I'm even thinking of the possibility of raising a turkey or two for holidays this next year.

In other news, that construction job has been finished although the workers did have to tear out and re-do their work.

The other big change for me is that I've had to let my regular internet go. Now, I have to be careful how much data I use so that I don't get overage charges. That essentially means that posts will be fewer than they were and there won't be as many pictures that I share. Although, I do want to share the one of those eggs and my Welsummer cockerel. He is a really pretty bird.

For now it is getting late and I work tomorrow.

So, until next time....

Has it really been a month? I guess so since my last post was on Dec. 21st, 2016.

Well I promised pictures so here is one of the dozens of eggs I have in my fridge. I get 4 or 5 eggs most days so they add up fast.



Some of the eggs are scratched from when another bird goes in to the nest box to lay an egg. The only egg from the one sold as a Red Sex Link is in the far left lower corner. There are 7 eggs from the Welsummer pullets. There are two eggs that are the same color as the carton from the Ameracuna. And there are two bantam eggs. OEGB pullet and either the 15 week old hatchling's egg or the bantam Cornish is laying (her comb is rather dull for that though).

I still say the photo doesn't do them justice for color.

There was another addition to my herd on the 19th of this month.


Isn't she adorable? Where did those spots come from anyway? I would have thought solid colors or Togg markings would look more like the later arrivals do.

About 48 hours later these two doelings arrived.



And of course the promised picture of my Welsummer cockerel.



His comb has a few more scars now from his skirmishes with the bantam rooster. Anyone or anything unexpected and the bantam is out with a challenge while this bird is leading the charge to the hen house.

I have been blessed with this fall's hatchling being a pullet. Another pretty bird...I'm not entirely sure her sire is the bantam rooster. It looks almost like maybe the black Australorp I had for a while was her sire. The timing is about right too.



Anyway, I better close for now.

I hope you enjoy the pictures. Until next time....